Chapter 92 - Rendezvous on the Pier and a Boat Across the River
She stood there on the wooden pier, clad in her usual black clerical robes. The blue water lapped gently around her, and a light breeze danced up, rustling her long hair. With her hands clasped behind her back, she began to walk slowly toward the end of the pier. She stood at the very edge for a few seconds, gazing down at the water's surface.
With a light step, she turned around, her chest bouncing with the movement. She scanned the area as if looking for someone, then started back toward the shore. She let out a sigh, turned to face the river once more, and walked back to the end of the pier. She was repeating this little pattern over and over. I decided to approach while her back was turned, hiding behind things whenever she turned back toward me.
However, either my timing was off or she turned faster than I expected, because she spotted me.
"Hmph! I've been waiting for you all this time, so why are you hiding?"
I gave up on hiding and walked over to Maira.
"Because you looked so adorable waiting for me."
"...I didn't think you were the type to offer such flattery, Mash."
I was being sincere, but I suppose after teasing her, she took it as a joke.
"Meeting up like this is a nice change of pace, though."
The same wind that had been playing with Maira's black hair now brushed against my cheek.
"Yes. I was waiting with my heart pounding. And yet you, Mash…"
It seemed she held a little grudge. She took my hand.
"Let's get on the boat right away."
The rental was a two-person rowboat. Several other boats were already out on the water, with some having rowed quite far from the shore.
"They said it's fine to go all the way to the other side. I'm counting on you, Mash."
Was this her revenge for my little prank?
"You've got to be kidding. How many meters is that?"
I gazed at the far-off shore. All I felt was despair.
We paid two silver coins and climbed into the boat. There didn't seem to be a time limit. I started rowing out from the shore. At first, I kept veering off in an arc and couldn't go straight, but once I got the hang of it, I could move as I pleased. Still, getting to the other side seemed impossible. After a while, I pulled some grilled fish skewers and ale I'd bought at the morning market from my storage.
Items in storage don't change state, which is convenient since they're preserved exactly as they were when I bought them. We toasted and dug into the fish. Both its appearance and taste were similar to sweetfish. The salt was perfect, and it was delicious. I took a sip of ale. Maira was sitting across from me. It was a perfect morning.
"You saw an elf?"
Maira asked, sounding surprised. I'd only caught a glimpse of them going into their room, so my impression was faint, but I remembered Fam saying it was an elf.
"Yeah, a kid with pointed ears. They were staying in the room next to ours. There was another one with a leaf on their head, too."
"A Flower-Kin, perhaps? They are a race said to live in the far west."
"Flower-Kin, as in, from plants and flowers? Does that mean…"
I'd heard that in the age of myths, humans interbred with all sorts of creatures to create new races.
"Yes, I know what you want to ask, Mash."
It seemed Maira didn't want me to press any further about the Flower-Kin. This world was once filled with people overflowing with a spirit of adventure. And yet, even after creating so many new races, they now treat other races with discrimination.
"Are they from the kingdom in the west?"
I changed the subject to the Flower-Kin's homeland. The Western Kingdom was where Reed from Wind Blade was from.
"It would be north of the kingdom, actually."
"Is that so?"
As usual, I couldn't get a grasp on the geography.
"Between the Empire and the Western Kingdom, there's a great forest and a mountain range. It spreads northwest, surrounding the kingdom, and in the north, there's a low-lying plain of wetlands that faces the sea. Many Flower-Kin live there."
"I see. Flucht has a king, but is the Western Kingdom similar?"
"No. The Western Kingdom is an independent nation, not under the Empire's influence. Flucht is one of the city-states under imperial rule."
What made it all so confusing was that the city-states under the Empire's influence didn't have a unified political system. Monarchy, democracy, oligarchy—they had it all. As long as the city-states remained subordinate, the Empire didn't interfere.
"So, broadly speaking, it's the Demon Kingdom, the Empire, and the Western Kingdom, from east to west."
"That's right. South of the Empire, there's a group of independent city-states, and there are other countries even further west of the Western Kingdom."
It was no use. My head was spinning, and I couldn't remember it all. In any case, we were traveling toward Migul, which was west of the Empire.
"By the way, Mash, which do you prefer, Fam or Mizuki?"
Maira changed the subject. I nearly spat out the ale I was drinking and started coughing.
"...You like Fam, don't you, Maira?"
I asked her a question to calm myself down before answering.
"Yes. As I've said before, if Fam were a boy, she'd be my perfect type."
Yep, she's dangerous. I should probably keep Fam away from her.
"And you thought Chihiro was a little cute too, right?"
"Hmph, what are you trying to make me say? It's true I'm a shotacon, but that's a bit different from romantic interest. You're my number one, Mash, you know?"
What did she mean, she was a shotacon but cute boys weren't her romantic interest? I didn't think I could get any more out of her on that topic.
"So, what about you, Mash?"
Maira brought the topic back around. Why did I have to talk about other women in front of her? Cecily would probably get furious.
"It's hard to compare the two. If we're talking about faces, I prefer Fam's. Mizuki is just... too perfect in every way."
"I see…"
Maira nodded, then fell into thought.
"I want to ask you something, Maira…"
Since we were on the topic, I figured I'd ask something I'd been wondering about.
"Yes, what is it?"
"Is Mizuki really a beautiful girl?"
"...What do you mean by that?"
She tilted her head, not understanding the intent behind my question.
"Well, I'm starting to suspect that maybe it's just me, that Racshell's power is making me see her as some special beauty."
"No, I think anyone would see her as a lovely girl. I certainly do."
"Is that so…"
I'd been bothered by what Hyakka said about Mizuki giving off a different impression than she had in their original world.
"Mash."
"Hm? What?"
"Your hands have stopped rowing. At this rate, we'll never reach the other shore."
"You're serious about this, aren't you?"
It seemed Maira was dead set on getting to the other side.
Somehow, we made it to the boat landing on the opposite bank. The boat had nothing to block the sun, and it had gotten hot. I was completely exhausted. My arms were burning. I didn't even want to think about the trip back.
"I'm sorry. I didn't realize it would be this much work."
Maira stroked my arm with concern. A healing spell washed over me, and the fatigue eased.
"While you're at it, if you just sandwiched my arm between those breasts and gave it a massage, I'd be cured in an instant."
"Huh?" Maira stared at me in shock.
"Ah…" Overcome with exhaustion, my inner thoughts had slipped out. Maira was frozen solid by my words.
"I-I was joking. Please. Forget I said that."
"N-No, you're my lover, Mash, so it's fine for you to say that. B-But… have you always looked at me that way?"
This was awkward. I had nothing to say. I thought I'd really put her off.
"Please give me a chance to make it up to you. Forgive me!"
"I thought you weren't interested in my body…"
"That's not true. I'm nothing but interested."
I want to dive into those bountiful breasts and drown.
"You're always saying lewd things to Fam and Mizuki, but you've never said anything like that to me."
"Well, saying that to you is…"
Maira clung to my arm. A soft sensation enveloped it, but it was gone just as quickly.
"It's terribly embarrassing, so only for a little bit."
We started walking, hand in hand.
"Did you have a reason for coming to this side?"
"Oh, right. This city has churches on both banks, and I heard the one on this side is putting on a play based on the myths. I wanted to see it with you, Mash."
"Do you know where it is?"
"Yes."
Just then, a noisy group of people hurried past us.
"I wonder what happened."
Maira turned back. She stopped in her tracks, looking surprised. I thought I heard her gasp. I turned back as well.
A little ways from the boat landing where we'd arrived, a large wooden sailing ship was moored. No, it was practically a wreck. The mast was broken, the hull was listing, and there were holes in its side. It seemed to have run aground. It had the eerie air of a ghost ship.
"Was that there before?"
We should have seen it as we rowed closer. Had I been too tired from rowing to notice? But Maira shook her head, too.
"I'm curious. Let's go have a look."
She started walking toward the shore.
Maira gathered information from the people who were staring at the grounded ship. It seemed the vessel had been abandoned for a long time after running aground. The owner and the operator were different parties, and they were apparently locked in a never-ending dispute over compensation. It had become a regular spot for local kids to explore and test their courage. And now, some children who had gone aboard yesterday hadn't come back.
Their fathers had gone to search for them early in the morning, but they hadn't returned either. The ship was large, over twenty meters long, but the search area was limited. It seemed like something that should have been over quickly. Someone was shouting toward the ship, but there was no sign of anyone on board, and no reply came.
"I'm worried. Let's go see what's going on."
Maira said.
"I have a bad feeling about this. We should leave it to the guild or the knights in this city. If we're going, all six of us should go together."
"Shouldn't we at least check if there's a dungeon entrance?"
Just like what happened at the castle in the mountains, it was possible a dungeon created by Mii's Crystal Control had appeared, and the children and the adults who followed them had gotten lost inside and couldn't get back. It seemed Maira was thinking the same thing as me.
"Alright. But if it looks dangerous, we turn back."
Maira nodded.
Thank you for reading. To everyone who has liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, thank you very much. It encourages me. I'll do my best. Thank you for the typo reports. I appreciate them.